The following is an Evernote bag review. I will first explain my purchasing experience with the Evernote bag and then I will discuss the product and how I’ve used it the past year. In summary, the Evernote bag is an awesome product and provides a mobile office experience easily with its storage capacity and design.
Note: Evernote no longer sells this bag but it can be found through the manufacturer’s (Abrasus – Facebook Page) reseller – a Japanese company called Superclassic HERE – warning all in Nihongo! i.e. Japanese).
The Evernote bag had been in my sights for a while but the $200+ price tag I thought was a bit ridiculous. Then for the first time in what seems was ever, I got an email offering a 20 or 25% discount. Whoa! A discount on a very popular item! I’m sure some people jumped, but because of past experience with discounts I expected more, so I waited.
Evernote Bag Gets Cheaper
It wasn’t long before another discount came along. 40%. Impressive! I decided to bite even though I thought of waiting. Actually my wife bit because this was going to be my Christmas gift:). So we took 40% off.
Evernote Bag Gets Even Cheaper!
Of course, as I suspected another discount offer came. This time it was 50% off and free shipping! My wife was a bit bummed because she’s big into discounts – i.e. She’s super stingy and takes a missed coupon personally.
So I contacted Evernote’s customer service via email and asked if they’d apply the difference. They happily did! All in all, my experience in purchasing and service from Evernote started out wonderfully. A+ on that!
I am guessing in hindsight that the fact that Evernote would no longer be offering this bag was the reason for the increasing discounts:). The Japanese company charges the original price for this bag (~$200).
With all of that said, and if you’re still interested , it is now time for my Evernote bag review…
Features of the Evernote Bag
How I Use the Bag (“Usability”)
For me, it is my mobile office. A true 80/20 productivity tool. My work set up is basically powered by a Macbook Air 11 inch. At home I have the second monitor (24″ Samsung) but at the office I work from the laptop only. Yes I will likely add a second monitor at work too, and maybe even a new laptop. As the 11″ Air lacks the power and features I need. But that is another story for another time!
As you can see in this video shot, I keep everything I need from checkbooks, handouts, notes, files, my Mac Air, pens, iphone stand, cables and more all in this neatly triangular shaped bag. The triangle shape allows the bag to stand, and therefore makes a cool “file cabinet” effect. I leave the bag on my desk and reach for items as needed.
Everything I need fits great. I have overstuffed this with files and it can handle it. But that usually just tells me I need to get through some work!
Durability
I’ve owned this bag since around Christmas 2015. It has held up like a champ. I use it every working day and sometimes more. It gets tossed around and I sometimes grab it like I do in the last part of the feature video (since there’s not close grip handle).
One peeve I have with the durability and is also a small design feature – the tab on one of the zippers keeps sliding off. This started happening about 2 months ago. I’m sure I can figure out a quick fix but it’s still a bit annoying.
Despite that, the workmanship and endurance of this bag overall has proven to be top notch. As you can see in the videos, my bag is 18 months old (in my possession) and still looks great. The shoulder strap is another winner – very strong nylon. It’s both comfortable and durable (as well as easily adjustable).
The pockets have been overstuffed a number of times with no complaint. And the smaller pockets and pen holders on the sides have held up well too.
As far as getting wet – I have never left this out in the rain and am not sure how it will hold up soaking wet. I don’t intend to test that either in this particular Evernote bag review:)
Attractiveness
People are attracted to the uniqueness of the design. No doubt. I mention this to people as a good gift idea and they often come back saying “I noticed your bag…etc.” Perhaps guys don’t want to notice a bag but it gets rave reviews. The clean look and gray color of mine (the most popular at Evernote – the Japanese manufacturer has some other colors to choose from) are very appealing to the eyes.
Nothing “hangs out,” or looks messy. There is no sloppy workmanship and no awkward parts. It’s efficient and professional. And beats the “bag” out of a briefcase anyday in my opinion!
Design
I’ve mentioned the triangular shape which makes it stand up. I mentioned the pockets – strong and neat looking. But I’ll go into detail now on the finer points. The pen holders on the side are handy. The two pockets on the fold down flap are convenient – it’s where I store USB charger cables, headphones, microphones, etc.
In the base of the bag, there is A LOT of space. I put a box of my business cards, my Mac power cord (with extension), my phone camera stand and more. The base storage comes with 2 dividers so you can separate what’s in the base – very thoughtful. I never put a bottle of water in there as in my feature image (from Superclassic’s website) but that’s a cool idea too.
The front pocket I have never used. You might use, it’s just that I haven’t yet. The fact that one of the pockets on the flap is hidden, something Evernote really played up on their product description page, is not a big deal to me. I suppose it is handy that you can’t see the contents of the pocket. When I first got the bag I thought there was a “hidden pocket” somewhere and was slightly disappointed that they meant simply “concealed.”
It fits very comfortably on the shoulder or cross chest shouldered. That’s how I do it when I’m chasing the kids. The color I own is nice (others have scoffed at the other colors Evernote offered – a cherry like color and a tan color) and the manufacturer offers other nice options.
Evernote Bag Review – Summary Impressions
If you want a bag that looks nice, and rates hugely on functionality (often a key point for men – we don’t like to buy something just because it looks good. It has to work too!), then this is a strong contender. I’ve seen backpacks and other bags with all sorts of neat pockets. But who wants a backpack?
This is the mobile office. You walk in, leave the bag standing, pull out your laptop and have everything else you need in your mobile filing cabinet. Whether it’s a pen, papers, the folder for your meeting (because you require a wet signature), handouts, the microphone cable for your phone etc. It’s all in there. Neatly stored.
With my only pet peeve that zipper tab thingy, this thing scores near perfect on my scale. And personally I intend to continue to use this bag for quite a while.
Thanks for reading!
FYI: the product commentary on the Evernote site was very helpful in finding the Japanese company that makes the product. And a few war stories on how to navigate a buying page that is 100% Japanese. Find the Evernote product discussion page HERE.
To learn more about me click HERE
For more 80/20 tools that I use, click HERE.
Evernote bag review filed under Reviews
